Man charged in Tenn. mall shooting that killed 1

**emsjeep** · October 8th, 2008, 11:50 PM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081009/..._mall_shooting

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - A customer opened fire in a crowded shopping mall Wednesday afternoon, killing a clothing store employee before he was shot and wounded by police officers, authorities said. Witnesses said the gunfire sent people "stampeding" for cover.

The employee was shot multiple times around 4:20 p.m. after a confrontation with the suspect at Knoxville Center Mall, police spokesman Darrell DeBusk said. The store employee, 29-year-old Ahmed Nahl, died at the scene.

Two uniformed Knoxville Police Department officers confronted the customer as he left Reno Menswear store and exchanged gunfire, hitting him once in the arm and once in the leg, DeBusk said. No one else was hurt, and police recovered the suspect's handgun.

William Johnson, 42, of Knoxville, was charged with murder, aggravated kidnapping and two counts of attempted murder in the shootings, police said. He was taken to University of Tennessee Medical Center and was in stable condition.

The two officers involved in the gunfire were put on paid leave pending an investigation, as is standard procedure.

Witness Daniel Wiles, 34, said he saw a man about a hundred feet away with a handgun, heard nine shots and saw people begin fleeing for cover.

"I heard a single shot. Then immediately after that I heard eight additional shots. People started stampeding," said Wiles, who was at the mall to pay a cell phone bill.

Kay Jewelers assistant manager Cayla Corum said that before she heard gunshots a worker warned her to shut the gates to the store because of reports of someone carrying a gun in the mall.

"At first, it sounded like firecrackers going off," said Corum, 21. "Then everyone started running. ... I've never experienced anything like it in my life."

Corum said she heard two shots, a pause, and then "at least 15" shots.

The mall, owned by Simon Property Group of Indianapolis, closed early because of the shooting.

Mall manager Tim Hill said in a release that the company was "deeply saddened" by the tragedy, offered sympathy to the victim and his family and pledged full cooperation with authorities.

I like this part:

Kay Jewelers assistant manager Cayla Corum said that before she heard gunshots a worker warned her to shut the gates to the store because of reports of someone carrying a gun in the mall.

Sounds like an interesting story, Police were close by or on scene for some reason. Not a random shooting but still the "stampede" of people is reminiscent of our endearing term for them all...I wonder if someone was trying to be funny?

**Longshot** · October 9th, 2008, 12:33 AM

Not enough information on this one....... To many details left out.

**emsjeep** · October 9th, 2008, 12:35 AM

Indeed, we will see what it turns out to be. However, I would say, maybe not a random shooting. I like the response of "drop the metal gates" at the first hint of a "man with a gun" esp. in such a state as Tenn.

**adymond** · October 9th, 2008, 08:39 AM

I don't want to read into that part too much, but I got the impression it was more along the lines of there's a guy walking through the mall carrying a gun (in hand). I picture a guy pissed off and stalking through the mall with a firearm. Not some dude walking through the mall with a holstered pistol.

**loudcherokee** · October 12th, 2008, 10:08 AM

I used to live there. Frequented this mall quite a bit. It's marked no firearms at all of the entrances. Maybe the guy didn't see the sign? I'm sure he would have walked right back out if he seen the sign. He must have missed it, but how? It's on every entrance....how could a tragedy like this happen somewhere with a sign that says no firearms allowed?

LC